Internal-combustion engine.



Patented Jan. J, 1917.

ZSHEETS SHEET I WIT/YES E8 (4/ A" twin- 1 H. OLDHAM.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.24. 191s. RENEWED SEPT.28. 1915.

1,212,100. Patented Jan. 9, 1912'.

2 SHEETS/SHEET 2. 1 42913 WITNES INVENTUR '7. fiefischeld/afiani BY M fiflwi/Lm rh-l AITURNEM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEBIB'CHEL OLDHAM, OF ESCONDIDO, CALIFORIiTIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-FIF'IHS TO I. D.

HALL, OF EBCONDIDO, CALIFORNIA.

Application filed September 24, 1915, Serial No. 62,890. Renewed September 28, 1916.

To all whom it in up; concern Be it known that I, HERSCHEL Owrmiu, a citizen of the United States, and a resIdent of Escondido, in the county of San Diego and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and Improved Internal-Combustion Engine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines'of the so called reciprocatingrotary type, that is, to internal combustion engines in which motion is conferred upon a rotor or revoluble member by the action of cylinders containin pistons having a thrusting movement so irected that the pistons turn bodily with the rotor.

The purpose of my invention is to simplify and otherwise improve the mechanism employed and to increase the general efficiency of the same.

Reference is made-to the accompanying drawings forming a, part of this specification and in which like characters indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing my improved engine, certain parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 1 but with the face plate and some other parts of the engine removed; Fig. 3 is a section on line 33, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fi 4 is a detail view, showing in rear eleva ionfthe main cam. plate.

The base plate 5 is provided with 'a pair of pedestals 6 and 7 extending u wardl fromit and having bearingsfi an 8. X revoluble shaft 9 extends through the hearing 8? ,and is supported thereby. This shaft carries the back plate'IO of the en ine. A

casing band 11 is mounted upon t e back plate 10, and a face plate 12 is secured to the i casin band. The back plate 10 casing band 11 an the face plate 12 together constitute a hollow casing which turns bodily with the shaft 9, which serves as the power shaft of the-engine. A number of cylinders 18 and 14' are carriedby the 'casin and extend outwardly therefrom. The cy inders 13, in this instahoe three, are exact like the cylinders 14, also three in number, at difi'erin therefrom in the cycle taking placewit in the cylinder at a Jmrticulaz instant, as hei einafter ex laine Each cylinder is, provided with as iatingribs 15 to throw ofi' superfluone heat and thus prevent said heat from Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1917.

Serial No. 122,788.

damaging the cylinder. Each cylinder is provided with a piston 16 having a piston rod 17 secured rigidly to it, this piston rod having no swinging movement relatively to the piston but merely a thrust movement inward and outward' Each piston rod 17 carries a head 18 and mounted on the latter is a roller 19.

A cam plate is shown at 20, and because of the function performed by this part I designate it as the main cam plate. It is mounted rigidly upon a sleeve 21, the latter extending through the bearing 8" and being normally fixed relatively to this hearing. A bolt 53 is used for the purpose of holding the sleeve rigidly in position. The sleeve 21 is hollow and its outer end is closed by a closure plug 22. Extending through this plug and communicatin with the interior of the sleeve 21 is a pipe 23 through which explosive mixture is drawn into the sleeve. I

The sleeve 21 is further provided with holes .24, and communicating with these holes are a number of supply tubes 25 extending radially outward for the purpose of distributing explosive mixture. The supply tubes 25 communicate with intake chests 26 each having a valve seat 27. Mounted upon each valve seat 27 and movable relatively to the same is a valve 28. This valve is mounted upon a valve stem 29 and is rendered accessible by a closure plug 30, which may be, removed for this purpose The valve stem 29 carries an annular disk or nut 31. A spring 32 engages each disk or nut 31 and encircles a sleeve 33 which extends a slight distance radially inward from the intake chest 26; There are as many in take chests 26 as there are.cylinders. I also provide a number of exhaust chests 35 equal to the number of cylinders and intake chests. Each exhaust chest 35 is provided with a valve 36 having a valve stem 37 and being rendered accessible by a closure plug 38, which is disposed inalinement-with it and is removable. disk or nut 39, and engaging the latter is a circles a sleeve 41 which extends radiallyv in- Each valve stem 37 carries a ward from the exhaust chest. The arts-are so arran ed that when the valve 36 is moved outward y from its normal position com .munication is established between the extrolling cam. \vith' its'function, I designate as an exhaustcontrolliup,

' suntan.

haust chestand the outer end of the adjacent cylinder. Each exhaust chest is provided with a short exhaust pipe EH through which burnt gases can readily escape into the atmosphere. Cxtending through the wall of the casing), are a number of sleeves 42. Extending through each of these sleeves is a dolly rod 4:5 carrying, a nut 44 to facilitate its adjustment relative to the sleeve and to the valve stem 22) which is in alinelncnt with the dolly rod. so that when the dolly rod is moved radially outward it pushes endwise upon the stem 2!) and thus raises the valve 28 from its seat :27. There are as many sleeves 43 and dolly rods 43 as there are cylinders.

I also provide a number of sleeves l5 equal to the number of cylinders, each sleeve 45 being similar to the sleeve 42 above described but located a little nearer the face plate 12 than the sleeve 42 just mentioned. lCach sleeve 45 carries a dolly rod 47, the latter bcilr; provided with a nut 46 and be ing in exact alincu'ient with the adjacent valve stem 37 \l'llcncvcr the dolly rod 47 is moved radially outward, that is, when it moves outwardlv in the direction of its own length. it bears against the end of the adjacent valve stem 37, and thus moves the valve ill radially outward. This establishes communication between the exhaust chest 35 and the outer end 0! the adjacent cylinder 13.

Disposed adjacent the main cam plate 20 and loosely encircling the adjacent end of the sleeve 21 is a revoluble spider 48 provided with wide spokes 48, the form of which may be readily understood from Fig. 2. These spokes engage the casing, band 11 and thus partially support the casing. Two cam )latest!) and 50, each having approxi-- mately a circularform. are secured rigidly upon the sleeve 21. These cam plates, like the main cum plate 20. a re normally statTionary. The cauiplatc 49, because of the other: it performs, I designate as an intake-con- The cain 50,1:1 accordance cam. A. revofl'iljile collar 51 encircles the stationary sleeve21 and is secured to the face plate 120i the casing, which. as above expliiined, is revoluble. The collar 51 1s roaided with a hub portion 51 with w iich "the inner ends of the supply tubes 235 are connected. The hub portion :31 is provided with a manifold passage 51 of annular form extending entirely around the sleeve 21 for the purpose of facilitating communication hem eon this sleeve and the supply tubes25. A packing; 52, serving to some extent the purpose of a bearing, is carried by the hub 51a alwangpme 4a is provided with lobes 5 equal to' one-half the place in the cylinder in and sengages the stationary.

number of cylinders. In this particular instance therefore there are three of these lobes. The exhaust cam plate 50 is likewise provided with three lobes, which are numbered 55. The main cam plate 20 is pro-- vided with a number of groove sections 20", 20", 20 and 20 arranged zigzag so as to assume the form of a six-pointed star, as will be understood from Fig. 4, the groove sec-- tions being placed end to end ing a single continuous groove, the general outlines of which correspond to a six-pointed star.

The rollers The parts are that whenever the casing and parts carried by it are, as a unit, rotated relatively to the stecve 21 and cam plates 20, 49 and 50, the various rollers 19 are all first moved radially inward toward the center of the plate 30, and are next; all moved radially outward, that is, avvay from said center. In addition. the parts are so arranged that. more rotation of the casing, no matter from What 19 all extend into this groove.

and thus form so arranged and proportioned 30 main cam 35 cause, will have a tendency to move the pistons lti. owing to the fact that the rollers 19 must follow the star-shaped groove.

The arrangement of the various parts is such that three of the. cylinders are all pertoruunn a given cycle while the three other internal combustion of a intalting, compression, explosion, and exhaust coupled with scavenging. In performing these. four cycles each cylinder moves onethird of a revolution, and therefore each cylinder ma ices three power strokes during one complete revolution of the casing. For instance, if the roller 1-) ehrried by the piston rod 17 of the cylinder 14,isho\yn at the top of Fig. 3, moves obliquely inward, followin the groove section 20" for pl rposes of intuk mg, the same roller will movti following the groove section 20 for purple. S of compressing; reaching the outer iimi of the groove section 20 explosion will take guestion, and then;

the roller 19 of liquelv inward, 20". he next. successive groovese'tition take care of the exhausting and scaven the process here described hein j over and over for tl-iis'cvlinder. dhea of the other two eylin ers numbered identical with that just described. ''I

three cylinders under discussion ncl/ alike and simultaneously as to in The other-three cyliii latencies this cylin obliquely outward or will travel' oh following the groove seetimlr i undergoing 0 erations similar to those just described, di er therefrom in phase or cycle, as elsewhere explained.

The operation of my device is as follows: An, explosive mixture being admitted through the pipe 23 into the sleeve 21, portions of this mixture pass rat iially outward through the supp] pipes 25 a d into the intake chests 26. Iere it remains until the valves 28 are opened, these valves being opened periodically by action of the lobes 54 on the inlet cam. The valyes 28 are so timed that the explosivemixture is fed into the cylinders at the )recise instant when, owing to inward travel of the pisthn 16, partial vacuums are created in the outer ends of the cylinders. Then, after compression and explosion, the exhaust valves 36 are opened by action of the lobes 55 carried by the exhaust cam plate 50, the lobes in question actuating the dolly rods 47, and these, as above described, opening the exhaust valves 36.

I do not limit myself to the precise mechanism shown, as variations may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a support having alined bearings, a sleeve secured in one of said bearings, a casing mounted to turn relative to said sleeve, the sleeve extendin through one side of the casing, a power sha t extending through the other bearing of the support and connected rigidly with the other side of said casing, cylinders mounted upon said casing. a piston slidably mounted WltlP in each cylinder, a piston rod secured rigidly to said piston, an intake chest dis osed adjacent each cylinder and adapte to communicate therewith, an exhaust chest disposed adjacent each cylinder and adapted to communicate with the same, a main cam pl te within the casing and rigidly connected with the inner end of said sleeve, the piston rods engaging said main cam plate, an intake-controlling cam plate, and an exhaust-controlling cam plate mounted rigidly upon said sleeve within the casing, means for supplying an explosive mixture to said intake chests, mechanism actuated by the intake cam plate for delivering charges of explosive mixture from the intake chests to said cylinders, and mechanism actuated by said exhaust-controlling cam plate for discharging burnt gases from the said cylinders.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a support having alined bearings, a sleeve secured in one of said bearings, a main cam plate, an intal e-controlling cam plate and an eXliuust ontrolling cam plate mounted rigidly upon said sleeve at one side of the main cam plate, a casing mounted revolubly in relation to said sleeve and inclosing all of said cam plates, the sleeve extending tl'irough one side of the casing and carrying the main cam plate at its inner end, a power shaft extending through the other bearing and connected rigidly with the other side of said casing and adapted to be turned by the rotation thereof, cylinders mounted inon said cas ing, pistons slidably mounted within said cylinders, piston rods connected rigidly with said pistons, heads carried by said piston rods, rollers mounted upon said heads and engaging said main cam plate so as to establish a working relation between said pistons and said main cam plate.mechanism connected with said intake cam plate and actuated thereby for delivering charges of explosive mixture to said cylinders, and other mechanism associated with said exhaust-controlling cam plate and actuated thereby for discharging burnt gases from said cylinders.

3. In an engine, the combination of a revoluble casing, a power shaft connected rigidly with one side of the casing and adapted to receive its power by the rotation of the casing, a plurality of cylinders carried by said casing, pistons slidably mounted within said cylinders, piston rods connected with said pistons, stationary mechanism including a sleeve in line with the shaft and on which the casing is mounted to rotate, and a cam on the inner end of said sleeve engaging said piston rods and co-acting tlierewith for maintaining a working relatiol between said stationary mechanism and daidrevoluble casing, an intake chest and an exhaust chest at one side of each cylinder and adapted to communicate therewith. a valve for controlling communication between said intake chest and the cylinder with which it is associated, a separate valve for controlling communication between each exhaust chest and the cylinder with which it is associated, a valve stem for each valve extending inward from the said chests and having guided movement, a dolly rod for each valve stem, said dolly rod having guided movement in said revoluble casing and being disposed in alinement with the valve stem with which it is associated so that the movement of a dolly rod causes the corresponding valve to open, the dolly rods controlling the inlet valves being disposed in one plane and the dolly rods controlling the exhaust valves being disposed in a different plane, and a pair of cam platcs housed within said revoluble casing and located alongside each other, said cam plates being stationary on said sleeve and provided with lobes disposed within the path of travel of said dolly rods.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the

combination of a support having alined bearings. a casing, a revoluhle shaft extending through one of said hearings and rigidly serured to one side Wall of the easing. he shat" t being rotated by the rotation of the easing. a hollow sleeve rigidly seeured in the other hearing and extending through the other side wall of the casing to the interior thereof, a main cam plate rigid on the inner end of the sleeve. cylinders rarried h v said casing, pistons in said cylinders having piston rods engaging the said eani plate, an intake chest and an exhaust rhest at one side of each cylinder, means for supplying explosive mixture to the hollow sleeve. the sleeve having-openinns a revoluhle collar surrounding the said sleeve and seenrectto the side wall of the easing. the eollar having a hub portion. supply tnlazs eoinnnlnicating with the intake chests and eonnerted at their inner ends to said huh portion. the said huh portion of the rollar having an internal annular passage rmnnmnit'ating with the openings of the sleeve and the inner ends of said supply tnhes. valves for rontrolling rtmnnunieation hetiveen the said intake and exhaust rhests and the said cylinders, rain plates mounted rigidly on the said sleeve alongside earh other. and means rontrolled h v said earn plates on the rotation of the easing tor artuatiug" said valves.

5. in an internal combustion engine, the ronihination of a sup )ort having alined hearings, a casing having a hark plate, a casing hand mounted on the hack plate, and a fare plate secured to the casinghand, a revoluhle shaft rarrying the hack plate and extending through one of said hearings. a hollow sleeve rigidlv secured in the other hearing and extending through the face plate to the interior of the casing. a main cam plate at the inner end of said fixed sleeve, means for supplying explosive mixture to the fixed sleeve, the said sleeve bein; provided with openings leading therefrom, a plurality of internal combustion cylinders carried by said casing, a piston Slldahly mounted within each cylinder, piston rods secured to said pistons and provided with means for engaging the main ram plate. an intake chest: and an exhaust chest located adjacent each other at one side of each efvlinrler. supply tnhes communicating with the said intake chests. a revoluhle c01- lar surronmling the said sleeve and secured to the said fare plate of the casing, the collar having a hub portion to which the inner ends of the supply tuhes are connected, the huh having an annular passage connnuni -ating with the inner ends of the supply tuhes and with the o ienings of the said fixed sleeve. valves for controlling the communication between the intake chests and the adjacent cylinders. valves for controll ng the roinniuniration between the cylinders and the exhaust rhests. an intake cam plate and an exhaust rain plate secured rigidly upon the said fixed sleeve adjacent each other and hetvveen the said main ealn plate and the fare plate of the casing, and means eontrolled hy said earn plates on the rotation of the easing for aetuating said valves to admit charges of explosive mixture from said. intake ehests into the adjacent cylinders and to discharge burnt gases from said cylinders.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specil'ication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERSCHEL ()LDHAM. \Vitnesses:

A. i ll'onnann, C. E. Hails'man. 

